Ijad Madisch

Dr. Ijad Madisch is a physician, earned his doctorate in the field of virology and studied computer science on the side. While he was working as a researcher in tissue engineering at Massachusetts General Hospital, he stumbled upon a problem he couldn’t solve himself and couldn’t find an expert to help him. That’s when he decided to found [ResearchGate](http://www.researchgate.net/), the professional network for scientists, together with his friends, fellow physician Dr. Soeren Hofmayer and computer scientist Horst Fickenscher.

Nine years later more than 13 million scientists from 193 countries worldwide use the network to collaborate, share their findings and build reputation. The Berlin-based startup has attracted a group of renowned investors, including Bill Gates, Benchmark and Founders Fund, Goldman Sachs Investment Partners and Wellcome Trust.